Mary I. Graves, 98
October 28, 1927 – July 25, 2026
Mary I. Graves of Wareham passed away peacefully on July 25, 2026 while receiving care at Sippican Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Marion. She was 98 years old and prior to this had been living independently.
Born Maria Ida Bacchiocchi in Mansfield, Mary was the daughter of Luigi and Amelia Bacchiocchi, of Fano, Italy, and one of six children in this vibrant Italian-American family. She was a graduate of Mansfield High School, and gained a love of caring for others.
Mary became established in nearby Foxboro, employed in the elementary school and then the state hospital. She developed strong administrative skills which she carried forward in life, working as an Engineering secretary at the Foxboro Company, now Schneider Electric. There she met her first husband, Donald S. Harding, and was a working mother, known for her energy and good spirits, raising four children and keeping home in an over 200 year old house.
After the death of her first husband, she was introduced by relatives to Robert Graves who at the time was living in Onset. They were married for the next 35 years until his passing in 2006. While in Wareham, she maintained a large garden, enjoyed camping, boating, shell fishing, learned to scuba dive, and for many years wintered in Florida and had a strong network of snowbird friends. She also worked part-time at Ocean Spray and met new friends and neighbors there.
She was predeceased by her daughter, Donna Milhomme of Foxboro, and survived by her sons, Peter Harding and Donald Harding both in Florida, and Michael Harding in California. She especially enjoyed being a grandmother and had her refrigerator covered with their photos and artwork.
There will be a memorial service held at Chapman Funerals & Cremations, 2599 Cranberry Hwy., Wareham on Tuesday August 18, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm, with a service beginning at 7:00 pm, to be officiated by Reverend Marie Bacchiocchi and assisted by William Milhomme. At a later date there will be a private interment at the Harding family plot in St. Mary’s Cemetery in Foxboro.
